SHOW LIVE: Automated tread label system demonstrations at Computype stand

Visitors have been relishing the opportunity to see Computype’s updated Chromaffix tread label automation system in action. The solution is designed to seamlessly integrate with existing manufacturing workflows to consistently print and apply branded tread labels to tires. Centred on the linkage between the bead barcode label and the retail-facing tread label, Chromaffix prints variable information to combine product data with colour logos for the correct combination of static and variable label presentation.

“We simply asked our customers ‘What is your vision for tread labelling?’. The feedback we received identified an obvious gap in the industry; there simply isn’t a tread labelling system on the market that can effectively utilise data or multitask to provide tangible business benefits in addition to basic labelling. And so we set out to engineer a labelling solution that would meet the speed, communication, reliability and service demands that our customers are looking to achieve,” commented Simon Boddy, Computype’s global product manager of industrial markets.

The result is a completely re-engineered automated labelling system, which integrates with production lines in tire manufacturing and distribution centres to keep pace with current throughput needs.

To address the critical relationship between the bead barcode and the tread label, an in-gate scanner ensures bead label information is sent to the Chromaffix system and printed on the appropriate branded label. The label applicator arm automatically adjusts in height to ensure accurate and centred label placement to various tire sizes. After label application, a roller ensures all edges are affixed to the tread, and the out-gate unit provides scanning verification to communicatively close the loop on the labelling process. Understanding that conditions can vary and real estate is limited in tire facilities, Chromaffix also provides temperature-controlled media storage and a compact footprint.

Chromaffix offers the industry an opportunity to view the seemingly tactical process of labelling in a more strategic sense, all while reducing manual labour, improving efficiencies and reducing waste.

Visit Computype on Stand 4004 to discover more about the Chromaffix system. The show runs until 22 February. More information at www.tiretechnology-expo.com.

About Author

Matt joined UKi Media & Events in 2014 after seven years of living and working in Dubai. He has been a journalist for over a decade and has worked for a wide range of publications, including Rolling Stone, Time Out, iQ and Loaded.After starting out on the automotive team as deputy editor of Engine Technology International, Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International and Transmissions Technology International, he began editing Stadia, Auditoria and Winter Sports Technology International in 2015.